Things I Learned From Watching The Shining

I’m back from a night of sleeping off the old sinus infection and now I’m back with more King.
I feel very ambivalent about this movie. I love the book very much and the movie is obviously incredibly well-crafted. I just wish it were more separate from the book. It seems to miss the point of the book, actually. In a case of tragic miscasting, Jack Nicholson plays Jack Torrance. Yes, I say tragic miscasting. You see, in the book Jack Torrance loves his wife and his son so much and he’s just trying to do right by them but he’s on his last chance for gainful employment. He’s on his last bit of money and is dealing with the memories of the father he loved and feared and is trying to come to grips with his alcoholism. Complicated, yes? But Jack Nicholson plays the part like he’s angry at Wendy and Danny from the beginning.
So I like the movie but try to keep it very separate in my mind from the book, which I think is even better.
So, this is what I’ve learned from The Shining.

1. Danny is a creepy, creepy little boy.

2. See how angry he looks? This is eighteen minutes into the movie. Not nearly long enough for him to be crazed yet. Jack is crazy from the get-go.

3. This is Jack after he “starts” to go crazy. He’s been at the hotel for awhile. See how his initial state is pretty much the same as it is here?

4. I want a blood elevator. This is such a cool effect.

5. Danny Torrance has the coolest sweaters. I’m very slowly learning to knit and I’d love to knit myself one of these one day.

Or this one. I love this sweater. I think this one would be easier for me to knit, I think, due to the less curviness of the design.

6. Dick is my favorite character, and this apartment of awesomeness just adds to his coolness.

7. I had no idea what this scene meant when I first saw this when I was little. NO IDEA. I was so innocent. And it always kind of kills me that they don’t go into the history of the hotel as established by the book. Sigh.
I’m off to watch The Stand.